1796·Port Nord-Ouest

by [Mauritius Imprint]

Port Nord-Ouest: Chez F.N. Bolle, 1796. 8pp. Small quarto. Loose sheets. Contemporary manuscript notations. Lightly soiled, some light wear at edges. Very good. Early imprint from the colonial press at the French colony of Mauritius, also known as the Ile de France. The text deals with the registration of deeds on the island. Interestingly, the printer Bolle seems to have moved his press out of the capital of Port Louis at this point. The Dutch were the first Europeans to become interested in the island, taking possession in 1598. After exploiting the island's dense forests for a century and introducing the cultivation of sugar cane and cotton, in 1710 the Dutch abandoned the colony. The French soon claimed it as "Ile de France," and the island remained under the control of the French East India Company until 1767. During the long war between France and England at the beginning of the 19th century, Mauritius proved to be an important strategic naval base, and as a result the British took charge of the island in 1810, and the Treaty of Paris confirmed official British possession in 1814. It remained an important sugar producing colony, and in the 20th century agricultural production was expanded to include tea, rice, and other produce. Printing began on Mauritius in 1768. During the French period, until 1810, only about 400 imprints were produced, mostly in the form of official documents and newspapers, though there are also almanacs and a few other items. All are quite rare. No copies located in OCLC; Toussaint locates a copy at the Mauritius Archives. TOUSSAINT A261. (Inventory #: WRCAM48591)

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